You No Longer Need a PS5 to Play Games on the PlayStation Portal
PlayStation Portal, Sony’s latest foray into handheld gaming devices, disappointed PSP and PS Vita fans when it hit store shelves last year, requiring owners to stream games from the PS5 console rather than being able to play the games themselves. Now it’s getting a little more standalone thanks to a feature that everyone has been asking for – the ability to stream compatible games from the cloud. Sony has announced that an upcoming system update will allow PS Portal to stream games without the help of a console, and while it’s still not exactly a dedicated handheld gaming machine, the update makes it more self-sufficient – you could potentially even buy it instead of a PS5 if you don’t mind cloud gaming and a slightly smaller library. You’ll need a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription for this to work, and thanks to the beta, you’ll be able to try it out later today.
Why PS Portal’s cloud streaming feature is so important
The PS Portal is a $200 accessory that’s essentially a DualSense controller with a screen. Until now, it has had several limitations that have made it difficult for many to sell it. This allowed you to remotely play games you already installed on your PS5, but you couldn’t do anything else and couldn’t use the Portal if you didn’t already have a PS5.
Thanks to a planned update, your PS Portal will finally be able to stream games from the cloud. Your gaming experience will no longer be dependent on the strength of your PS5’s internet connection or the available free space on your PS5.
How to stream PS5 games from the cloud on PS Portal
Before you can start cloud gaming on your PS Portal, you’ll need the following:
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PlayStation Portal
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PSN account with an active PS Plus Premium membership (costs $17.99 per month or $159.99 per year).
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Internet connection with at least 5 Mbps upload and download speeds (Sony recommends 7 Mbps for 720p streaming and 13 Mbps for 1080p).
First, you need to update the system software of your PS Portal. Sony says the update will begin rolling out today (Europeans will have to wait until Wednesday), so if you don’t see it, wait a moment and try again. To update your device’s system software, follow these steps:
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From the top right corner of your PS Portal home screen, swipe left to open the Quick Menu.
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Go to Settings > System > System Software.
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Select Update System Software.
After this, you can finally start playing your games by enabling the Cloud Streaming beta:
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Open the quick menu again and go to Settings .
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Select Cloud Streaming (Beta) .
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Turn on the Cloud Streaming (beta) switch, which is disabled by default.
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Returning to the home screen of your PS Portal, you should now see the option to access compatible games using Sony’s cloud streaming service.
According to Sony, this software update also lowers the minimum volume. The cloud streaming beta will be available in regions where PS Plus Premium is available. The full list includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and the Republic of Cyprus. , Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA.
According to Sony, PS Portal will not be able to stream PS4 or PS3 games, but PS5 games are supported. The company adds that the PS Portal won’t initially support some features, including game trials, group voice chat, the Create button, 3D audio and in-game transactions, but these may be added later.